Point-rail guard.



PATENTED SEPT. 4, 1906.

P. 0. ANDERSON.

POINT RAIL GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13. 1905.

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(UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

FRANK O. ANDERSON, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO. 4

POINT-RAIL GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1906.

Application filed April 13, 1905. Serial No. 255.274.

To (13 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Point-Rail Guards, of which the following is a specification.

y invention relates to guards for the exposed point-rails of railway-switches.

The object of my invention is to provide means for guarding and protecting the exposed point-rails of railway-switches, whereby the dangers of a switch are reduced to a minimum.

My invention consists of a tapered casting secured adjacent the end of a point-rail and having a tapered lip adapted to engage the point-rail and hold it firmly in position, the whole forming a guard to prevent accidental contact with the end of the point-rail of any part of a moving train.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a split switch, showing my point-rail guard Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a modified construction of guard adapted to protect the end of a point-rail when reinforced by an ordinary rail, as shown. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my pointrail guard. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 5 is a view of the larger end of the guard. Fig. 6 is an end view showing a modification of the point-rail guard shown in Fig. 2, the dotted lines in Fig. 6 Showing the relative position to the guard of point-rail and its reinforcement. Fig. 7 is a cross-section on the line a: as of Figs. 3 and 4.

The construction of the guard is as follows: The tapered body portion 1 is preferably formed hollow, as indicated, and is provided with a flange 2 and means for securing it in a fixed position. In Fig. 2 I have shown a flange 2, provided with recesses 3 to receive spikes 4, by which the guard is secured to the cross-ties 5; but I prefer to construct my pointrail guard as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7 to permit it to be readily and easily adjusted lengthwise away from the end of the point-rail when the rail creeps into contact with it. plate 11, which is spiked to the ties and which is provided with perforations or bolt-holes 12, adapted to receive bolts 13, by which the body 1 and plate 11 are secured together. When the point-rail creeps into contact with the body 1, the bolts are changed from one set of holes to the next and the body moved en so constructed, I provide a lengthwise away from the point-rail accordingly and secured as before. In this way the point-rail is kept a proper distance awayfrom the body without removing the plates from the ties. Projecting from the larger end of the body 1 is a tapered lip 6, braced by the rib 7 and made to conform to the rail with which it is to be used, as is more particularly shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

From the above description it will be obvious that my guard is capable of some modification without material departure from the scope of the invention, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form and arrangement as set forth as, for example, the form of the body may be modified as shown in the several views to conform to the particular shape of point-rail to be guarded; but in all such modifications it is essential that the body be tapered substantially as set forth.

It will be Seen that the lip projects over the base and against the side of the rail and holds the point-rail 9 from displacement other than its normal movement by reason of any object engaging the connecting-rod 8. The side of the lip is preferably formed to conform to the rail 9 or the reinforceme11t-rail 10 and is tapered upon its outer surface to guide any obj ect coming in contact therewith over or away from the guard and prevent injury thereto.

Heretofore the exposed end of a point-rail of a switch has been left unprotected, so that a draw-bar or other portion of the equipment of a train was liable to accidentally drop and injure the end of said exposed point-rail in such manner as to bend it or release the pointrail from its position, whereby the train would be derailed and great damage result therefrom. By use of my invention the end of the point-rail is protected and the above danger is thereby avoided.

My guard can be applied to any switch having an exposed point-rail and is especially intended for use where high speed is maintained.

I claim- 1. A point-rail guard comprising a tapered body, a tapered lip, and means for securing said body in position adjacent the end of a point-rail and said tapered lip against a part of said rail, whereby the latter is held from displacement other than its normal movement.

2. A point-rail guard comprising a tapered body secured in front of a point-rail and. adapted to guide objects over or away from said point-rail and a tapered lip on saidbody adapted to guide objects over or away from said guard and adapted to extend againstand over a part of said rail whereby the rail is held from displacement other than its normal movement, and means for securing said guard in place.

3. A point-rail guard comprising a tapered body, a plate to be secured to the cross-ties, and means for adjusting said body lengthwise upon said plate and means said body in adjusted position lengthwise of said plate. c

FRANK O. ANDERSON.

JAMES N. RAMSEY,

for holding 

